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Enabling Windows Firewall on your computer can help to protect your business information from being compromised by malicious software and hackers. The default Windows Firewall settings block most communications ports that allow data from the Internet to access your computer; however, it also prevents most computer programs from communicating with the Internet, including legitimate applications that you want to run. If you have software that needs to use a certain port to access the Internet, you don't have to turn off the firewall. Instead, you can change your firewall's advanced settings and allow your application to establish a connection to the Internet.

1. Open the "Start" menu and click "Control Panel."

2. Click "System and Security" and select "Windows Firewall" from the list of utilities.

3. Click "Advanced Settings" to open the "Windows Firewall With Advanced Security" window.

4. Click "Inbound Rules" in the left pane of the window. Choose "New Rule" from the Actions pane on the right side of the window to open the "New Inbound Rule" wizard.

5. Select the "Port" radio button and click "Next."

6. Follow the wizard's instructions to open the desired port. For example, enter the port number that you want to open in the Specific Local Ports field. Then, tick the "Allow the Connection" radio button to configure Windows Firewall to allow your application to use that port.

7. Type a name for the new rule and click "Finish" to complete the wizard. The new rule appears in the Inbound Rules pane and takes effect immediately.

Warnings

You must sign in to Windows as an administrator to perform these instructions.

Ports remain open until they are closed, making Windows Firewall less secure. You should close the port when you are no longer using it to minimize external security threats to your computer.

About the Author

An avid technology enthusiast, Steve Gregory has been writing professionally since 2002. With more than 10 years of experience as a network administrator, Gregory holds an Information Management certificate from the University of Maryland and is pursuing MCSE certification. His work has appeared in numerous online publications, including Chron and GlobalPost.